Minggu, 25 September 2016

Why Learning Styles Are Essential for Groups

Why Learning Styles Are Essential for Groups

“To state the obvious, learning styles describe the different ways we learn things as human beings.”

Having been deeply
involved in the world of small groups for more than a decade now, I’ve
learned a lot of new concepts and interesting ideas. But if I had to
pick one area of study that’s had the greatest impact on the way I lead
my own small group, I wouldn’t hesitate at all. It’s learning styles.A Brief DescriptionIf you’re unfamiliar with that term, a “learning style” refers to
the way a person perceives and processes information. It’s how raw data
enters your brain through senses such as sight, smell, sound and touch
(that’s perception); it’s also how your brain interprets, organizes,
stores and uses that raw information (that’s processing).
To state the obvious, learning styles describe the different ways we learn things as human beings.
What I believe—and what I’ve experienced while serving hundreds of
churches and small-group leaders—is that understanding the way we
perceive and process information is vitally important for the kind of
experiencing we all hope for in a healthy small group.
That’s why over the next several weeks I’ll be writing about the
basics of learning styles and their application to small groups—starting
today.The VARK ModelWhen it comes to categorizing and understanding the learning styles
of human beings, there are dozens of different models that have been
developed over the years (many of which are very scholarly and the
opposite of user friendly). But I prefer to focus on the VARK model
because it makes a lot of sense and, frankly, is easy to both understand
and apply.
The VARK model of learning styles was developed by Neil Fleming, who
is a professor and educational theorist currently living in New Zealand.
It focuses on four distinct learning styles:
• Visual learners
• Auditory learners
• Reading/writing learners
• Kinesthetic learners
We’ll discuss each of the different styles in depth over the next
several weeks, although you can guess a lot about each style based on
the name.
In addition to the four VARK styles, we’ll also be learning about
Social Learners and Solitary Learners—a distinction that makes a big
difference when it comes to attendance and participation in small
groups.Dominant and SecondaryIt’s important to note that just about everyone is able to operate
in all four of the different learning styles described above. Chances
are good that all of your small-group members will be able to perceive
and process information through site (visual), sound (auditory),
reading/writing and touch (kinesthetic).
But each of us has a dominant learning style—a primary method that we
prefer to use when we learn. This is the way that we unconsciously
approach and interpret the world. Most people have a secondary learning
style, as well. They are not as comfortable with their secondary style
as they are with their dominant style, but they can learn and interact
well just the same.
Now, here’s the kicker for us small-group leaders: Our dominant
learning style typically becomes the primary way we attempt to lead and
teach others. So, the way you prefer to learn will influence the way you
lead your group—which can be a positive or negative thing based on the
different learning styles of your group members.
That’s just one of the reasons why group leaders really do need to
have a basic understanding of learning styles. We’ll discuss many more
over the weeks to come.